Hamilton, NJ Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)

Section 550-95, added in 2021 (Ord. No. 21-029), permits outdoor dining as an accessory use to restaurants in all zones except the Rural Resource Conservation (RRC) Zone. The outdoor area can sit in a required front, side, or rear yard, but it cannot encroach on a Township right-of-way, and reaching into a neighboring property or another tenant's space requires that owner's written permission. Restaurants may post one menu board up to four square feet, attached to the building; no other outside signage is allowed. Tables and chairs must stay at least four feet from fire hydrants or counter service windows and two feet from building entrances and exits.

m. m. Friday and Saturday. Exterior lighting cannot spill beyond the property or dining area at more than half a footcandle. The perimeter must be delineated with bollards, fencing, railings, potted plants, decorative chains or similar fixtures, landscaped to screen noise, glare and lighting from neighbors. Outdoor seats count toward the restaurant's total permitted seating capacity rather than adding to it, and off-street parking calculations must include the outdoor count. Restaurants whose site plans were already approved get administrative review with Township professionals for a permanent outdoor dining extension; those without prior approval go through full site plan review. All outdoor dining areas remain subject to UCC life-safety inspection, ABC alcohol rules, and the Americans with Disabilities Act.